BOISE ,Idaho -- It may not look like much from the inside; just a skinny tree with no ornaments and strands of colorful lights. But, if you take a step back and look at the bigger picture, it's a much different story.
One that starts decades ago, long before these branches, with a man who loves a good laugh.
"It was one of those Christmas memories going out and looking at Christmas lights," said Boise resident Wayne Richey.
Among all the lights he saw as a kid, Richey found one idea he just had to repeat; putting a Christmas tree right through your roof.
"It's about 16 feet tall. I cut about 3 feet out of the middle. Half goes in the house, half goes on the roof," Richey said.
Despite the illusion, there's no hole in the house. Just a piece of plywood on top, with the top half of the tree screwed on.
"It makes people's day, you know, the whole Christmas spirit thing," he said.
It's something Richey's done before back in eighties.
"This was one we did, me and my brother did, probably 30 years ago."
It's now become something he's done for several years here, since he moved into this picture perfect home for an untraditional tree.
"Four years ago, I bought this house and when I came in, looking at this house, I saw the big open front windows on the intersection. I said, 'I'm putting a tree in that window.'"
This year, the tree has shined for more than just Boise neighbors ever since Richey snapped a photo and posted it online.
"The first week we had 450,000 views, 500 comments and it's just exploded, since then."
Facebook pages like Larry the Cable Guy and George Takei picked up the image. It even ended up on MSNBC. At last check, more than five million people have viewed the tall tree in Boise, Idaho.
"If you Google, Christmas tree, roof and moose, it comes up on the top of Google images," he said. "It's exploded and been a lot of fun."
With 1400 lights and a couple cuts, Richey has created a Christmas tree tradition that gives those in Boise and those around the world, something to smile about this season.
Richey says he'll continue with his now Christmas tree tradition for years to come.
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